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Weaponized Lasers Coming to A Battlefield Near You...Eventually

by Peter Mychalcewycz on March 24, 2009 at 06:05 AM



Next time Dr. Evil asks his cohorts for a "frickin' laser," they just might be able to give him one; Northrop Grumman, a military manufacturer and defense systems developer, has successfully tested a 100-kilowatt (kW), electric laser for the first time. This weapon is far different from the mosquito-killing laser we talked about last week.

The development of this laser is significant because 100 kW is considered battlefield strength. The device consists of seven laser amplifier chains, each of which can produce around 15 kW of power. The development of a single, complete laser amplifier chain (which combine to form the foundation for more powerful lasers) had preoccupied scientists for a long time. Now that researchers have finally created a military-grade laser, they can focus on three major issues hindering mass production: size, weight and cost.

Once these futuristic weapons are smaller, lighter, and cheaper, we're betting they'll be employed by the U.S. military for defense against enemy rockets, aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles, missiles, mortar rounds, and pretty much any other mechanized threat. [From: DVICE]

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Tags: future tech, FutureTech, laser, lasers, military, science

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